Research - Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Looking at Dancing in the Distraction, Andrew Goodwin argues that traditional narrative analyses doesn't apply to pop videos. Though there are a number of reasons behind this, Goodwin believes it's just that they approach narrative from a different angle to novels and films. Instead, reasons for different narrative structures are as follow: 

- Pop videos rely on repetition; repeating images in the way the song repeats the chorus or lines meaning that we become familiar with the genre. Think to yourself, why would we change it? With certain expectations held on generic pop music videos, it might be dangerous to challenge these conventions. 

- Pop songs, typically, have a form of closure and ending. Often reflected in the structure of the music, the 3 minute single that a video is based on must end. This can be used to promote commodities such as film or encourage viewers to watch it again, and again. 

- The visualisation of a song may go beyond the original meaning. There are three types of relations between songs and videos that display this: Illustration, Amplification and Disjuncture

Illusion - I took Ab-Soul's Illuminate (Feat. Kendrick Lamar) as an example of Illustration. Goodwin argued Illustration is where the video tells the story of the lyric. Intrigued as I was by this video, I noticed Ab-Soul stating if you give him a chance to kill competition, he won't hesitate to make room for newer-upcoming rappers ("Put a pistol in my hand and I won't think, Rest in peace, you just made room for the next to be"), furthermore, this video connotes what the world is like after hip-hop (hip-hop being my own interpretation) becomes extinct and it's left to the new generation (conveyed by the young adults) to 'resurrect' it. 

Amplification - Being one of my favourite music videos out there today, Arctic Monkey's 'R U Mine' conveys the lengths one would go to be with some they like; Despite the temptation of willing-women and hanging out with the lads. I believe this video introduces new layers of meaning that don't necessarily contradict the lyrics as Goodwin states. 

Disjunction - Beyonce's Single Ladies has nothing to do with being single nor' sticking rings in various places. Instead it's just a trio of light-skinned women performing in their best yoga outfits. This video also conforms to male gaze, but I won't get into that now. Though this video is the equivalent to a discrete opening I learned about in AS, Goodwin claims that disjunction is where there is little connection between the lyric and video.